An angular position or speed sensing assembly has a magnetic sensor head and a toothed tone wheel both supported by one support member adapted to be mounted in an aperture in the axle housing of a vehicle. A ring-shaped extension of the support member protrudes into the axle housing and encircles the axle shaft. A tubular element, also encircling axle shaft, is rotatably carried within the extension and rigidly supports the tone wheel. A claw coupling loosely connects the tubular element to a side gear of the differential gear assembly of the vehicle for rotation therewith. The magnetic sensor head is carried by the support member in a cooperating position with the tone wheel.
An electrical rotary speed signal generator comprising a rotor mounted on a rotary component and a stator mounted opposite part of the rotor on a stationary component, the stator producing a signal representative of the rotational speed of the rotor by sensing the latter, a non-metallic housing for the stator and at least two metallic bearing bodies on the housing, at least one of which bearing bodies is radially elastically flexible, the bearing bodies being adapted to engage the wall of a bore in the stationary component in which the stator is positioned.
A speed sensor tone wheel has a plurality of serrations formed on an inner periphery for engagement with an axially extending annular surface formed on a wheel bearing seal support. The tone wheel is mounted on the support and an outwardly facing surface of the serrations is coined to force the inner ends of the serrations into contact with the annular surface to prevent relative rotation between the tone wheel and the support. Tabs can be formed in the outer periphery of a radially outwardly extending flange of the wheel bearing seal support for extending through open spaces between the serrations and engaging a surface of the tone wheel to trap the tone wheel between the support flange and the tab. Alternatively, an indentation can be formed in the flange to project into an associated one of the serrations.
An apparatus for sensing the angular velocity of a vehicle wheel includes a rotor disk, a mounting bracket for attachment to the inner wall of an axis housing, and an electromagnetic sensor. The disk is coupled to the axle shaft for rotation and is rotatably retained in a cavity formed in the bracket. A mounting tube is also formed in the mounting bracket for retaining the electromagnetic sensor in close proximity to a periphery of the disk which has a plurality of generally radially extending evenly spaced indicating means formed thereon. The cavity limits axial movement of the disk to maintain the air gap between the disk and the sensor. The disk can be coupled to the axle by a pair of rings and a tab and slot system to limit radial movement of the disk.
An apparatus for sensing the angular velocity of a vehicle wheel includes a sleeve, a tone wheel detachably coupled to the sleeve, and an electromagnetic sensor. The sleeve can be rotatably mounted on bushings inside a differential housing. The electromagnetic sensor extends through a wall of the housing into close proximity to a periphery of the tone wheel which has a plurality of generally radially extending evenly spaced teeth formed thereon. The tone wheel is positioned on the sleeve between a pair of retaining rings and is keyed for rotational movement with the sleeve. An inner end of the sleeve has means for coupling to the side gear of a differential carrier assembly. In one embodiment, the means for coupling includes tabs formed on the sleeve and cooperating slots formed on a side gear. In another embodiment, lugs formed on the sleeve engage driving surfaces formed on the side gear.
